Birds are
beautiful. They are stress-busters, they
add colour and song to our life. The calling sound and fluttering of feather is
soothing to ears and treat to eyes. Birds
also teach us communication skills and English vocabulary too !!
The verb “ruffle” - would mean : to make something untidy or no longer smooth. A
ruffle can refer to a physical trim on clothing, a physical or emotional
disturbance, or an open-source software project.
In Textile and Fashion Trim : it is a
gathered, pleated, or rippled
strip of fabric, lace, or ribbon sewn onto clothing, bedsheets, or curtains for
decoration. Unlike a flounce (which is
cut in a curve or circle to lay flat and wavy without gathers), a ruffle is
gathered directly along the seamline
Ruffle feathers
(or to ruffle someone's feathers) is an English idiom that means to upset,
annoy, irritate, or offend someone. When you "ruffle feathers," you
do or say something provocative—intentionally or unintentionally—that causes a
stir, stirs up resentment, or makes people uncomfortable.
The phrase comes from the
natural behavior of birds. When birds feel threatened, frightened, or
irritated, they puff up or ruffle their feathers to appear larger and more
aggressive.
Interesting ! here is a ruffled Pigeon pictured at my
terrace !!
Regards
– S Sampathkumar
8.11.2026